


Breath

by connora



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Non-Canon Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-02-01
Updated: 2013-01-31
Packaged: 2017-11-27 17:59:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/664843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/connora/pseuds/connora
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My name is Amelia Bones. I have a story, and I'd like to tell it to you.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prolouge

Some of you know my name. But only a handful of you know who I really am, and while most of you may not consider me important, I have a story and I'd like to tell it to you.

You all know Harry; The Boy Who Lived, The Chosen One, he probably has more names then that by now. And you know what happened to him. You know that he got married after the second war and he had children, raised his family. You know his dad, James, and what became of him and his friends, Sirius, Remus, Peter and Lily. You know what they went though and how they suffered, some deserving, some not so much.

But what you may not know is that I knew them, too. I was older and while that may seem irrelevant, it's important. You know them, and you know their story. But you don't know about the rest of us. You don't know about me.

I was there, my family and my friends were there and somewhere within the pages that our names were scrawled on, we got lost in the shuffle. We existed but most of you don't remember. Knowing our names does not constitute knowing us. You don't know what our fears were, why we fought in the war and why we didn't. You don't know our trials and triumphs. You don't know us, not at all.

I'm here because we don't want to be forgotten. I don't want to be forgotten.

I wasn't a Marauder and I didn't sacrifice my life for my child, but I lived. Oh, I lived. I had friends and I had a family. I laughed just as much, cried just as often, lost just as many and loved just as hard.

My name is Amelia Bones. I have a story, and I'd like to tell it to you.

Amelia S. Bones


	2. One

A family of five walked swiftly through the gates and into Kings Cross Station on a muggy August morning in 1971 carrying several bags of luggage and three caged barn owls with a sheep dog in tow. Ethan Bones walked beside his wife, Adelina, their three children, Edgar, Amelia and Elliot followed close behind. The couple had been married for well over eighteen years and was two of the most successful Aurors in the Wizarding World. They resided in an oversized and over furnished house in the south of England in Andover. Their summers were often spent in France with Mrs. Bones' parents, Céline and Pierre Peau.

Their three children normally looked forward to the annual trip, namely the femme Bones child, though this year, it had been hard for Edgar, the eldest, to leave behind his beloved better half, Nathalia Bobbin. Edgar stood at a tall five foot eleven with short dark brown hair and light blue eyes. His facial features were well defined and his cheekbones were strong. Elliot, the youngest of the Bones children, had looks that paralleled his brothers, though they were much softer and undefined, still hidden in his adolescence. The middle child, Amelia, was shorter than both of her brothers, a petite five foot five. Her hair was much like that of her brothers, dark brown and uncommonly soft and fell just below her shoulders in natural tendrils. Her eyes, however, were darker, a navy blue, the trait of her mother's side of the family and could almost always be found under her heavy eyelashes.

Each played their role in rank of the Bones children. Edgar was by all means the leader of the group. He played the part of the older brother in every aspect of the phrase. He looked after his siblings in a way that ensured their safety and could be suffocating at times, for Amelia in particular. Amelia was a bit more easygoing than her older brother, though she took her schoolwork far more seriously. Being all members of the Ravenclaw house, they were all studious, Amelia, however, was more disciplined and poised and much harder on herself than anyone else. Elliot, though the youngest, stood as a sort of middle ground between his brother and sister. He was energetic, like Edgar, but compassionate, like Amelia. He was a mixture of both of them, and therefore, blended with the two of them quite well.

The five Bones family members darted in and out of groups of muggles, their eyes all set on platform 9 and 3/4. Their dog, Maxwell, lagged behind them, stopping to sniff the hands of strangers.

Swiftly but surely, the family stepped through the platform and back into their world. Students and parents alike walked past them, eager to see new and old friends. Shedding their cloaks, the Bones family stepped back into their skin.

"Merlin, it's good to be heading back." Edgar said, taking off his cloak and draping it over his free arm. "I've missed the old place." he said with a soft grin.

"Edgar Bones," Amelia said shaking her head, "you tell such lies. You can't possibly miss the smell of must and text and ink splattered across your desk. The only reason you want to get back to Hogwarts is so you can jump right into Quidditch again. As if you didn't do enough training with Amos Diggory and Kingsley Shacklebolt over the summer. Honestly, if I don't see another broom stick for the rest of my life, I think I can die considerably happy." She said with a roll of her eyes.

Edgar's passion for the sport wasn't a secret. Since he had learned to ride a broom, he knew that he was destined to be a player and his main aspiration had been to become a captain, which he had successfully done. When he wasn't with Nathalia or Kingsley and Amos, he was down at the pitch, trying to perfect his game.

"Lia," he said using her nickname affectionately, "You say that like it's a bad thing! Quidditch is something that cannot be explained. It's more then a feeling, but less then a mood. There is nothing better then feeling the wind rush through your hair-"

"And getting the knots out-" She muttered.

"Feeling your eyes widen-"

"And water-"

"Watching the scenery wiz past you-"

"Watching your breakfast wiz past you-"

Edgar rolled his eyes at his sister's sarcastic comments. The main reason that Amelia hated Quidditch so much was because she wasn't good at it. Amelia liked order and she liked facts that never changed. With her studies, she always knew what the answer was. Quidditch was unpredictable; one never knows how the game is going to be played.

"Alright, fine." He considered. "So you don't like Quidditch, but you can't tell me that you didn't ogle Kingsley every chance you got." He teased.

Amelia shook her head at this, biting back a grin and gave Edgar a 'quit-while-you're-ahead' look. Edgar had been trying to set his sister up with Kingsley for nearly a year. Her friendship with Xenophilius Lovegood, Edgar feared, was going to result in marriage. He had once tried to express this concern to Amelia but she just laughed it off. In Edgar's mind, everyone should be paired off before the age of seventeen and on their way to making plans for a future family. Everyone should want a good job and a white picket fence around their house. Sometimes, Amelia thought her brother was right of out the 1950s.

True, Xeno and Amelia had been friends since they met when she was eleven and he twelve, but nothing substantial had mounted. Some thought that Xeno harbored feelings for Amelia, though Amelia would argue otherwise. Nonetheless, Edgar, being the older brother that he was, was concerned for his sister. He didn't have any particular problems with Xeno and worked with him quite often in a variety of classes. But in terms of whether or not Xeno was a fit provider, Edgar just didn't see it. The blonde haired boy had no exceptional skills that Edgar was aware of, besides that of writing lengthy essays on obscure topics. Essays that he presented to Amelia to read and Edgar took this to be an odd form of flirtation.

So Edgar took it upon himself to play matchmaker. Someone intelligent, outgoing, friendly, brave. It had really come down to one person: Kingsley. He was everything that Amelia needed. Not to mention, it worked quite well in their circle of friends. Emmeline Vance, Amelia's best friend, had started dating Amos, Hufflepuff Quidditch Captain, at the end of the last school year. Edgar liked to think that this meant something symbolic.

But Amelia fought Edgar's attempts at every turn. When he tried to get her to go to Hogsmeade with Kingsley, she faked food poisoning. Each time he tried to ensure that she sat next to him at dinner, she made sure to arrive late or early and squeeze in next to other housemates. That's not to say that Amelia didn't like Kingsley. They generally got along and enjoyed each other's company. But he was Edgar's best friend, and Amelia just didn't think of him like that.

"Five minutes," Elliot said with a mock plea in his voice, "that's all I ask. Five minutes were the two of you are fighting or trading banter. It's a bit annoying, really."

It wasn't a secret that the two oldest Bones children were closer to each other than to their brother. Elliot always fell short relationship wise and though it wasn't intentional, it was just the way it was. The three of them never spoke it aloud, but it was known among them that Edgar and Amelia had more affection for the other then for their little brother.

"Oh stop it." Edgar said, ruffling the hair of his fifteen-year-old brother.

"What would you do without us?" Amelia said sweetly.

"Where do you want me to start?" Elliot asked seriously and Amelia shoved his shoulder lightly.

"Now what on earth could Elliot Bones have done to deserve that?" called the familiar voice of Cordelia Clearwater, Elliot's best friend of five years and girlfriend of one, and Elliot blushed at her comment.

Cordelia, who never went by anything but Delia, had been apart of the Bones' lives for what seemed like an eternity. The fifteen-year-old Ravenclaw had auburn hair and clear blue eyes and it wasn't hard to see why she and Elliot worked so well together. Elliot was easy going and did things the slow way. He took time to appreciate things. Delia was factual and logical and she observed most of what other people did not. They were good for each other. She was the oldest of three children and her parents had grown up with Mr. and Mrs. Bones. Their lives, it seemed, were all interlinked.

"Delia," Edgar said as she kissed Elliot on the cheek and embraced Amelia, "you haven't lived with him for fifteen years. You can stick up for him all you like once you've got some perspective."

"Oh, shut your face." Delia said playfully, hugging Edgar lightly.

Each time they came back to school, it was like a family reunion. Delia and Edgar's better half, Nathalia, were already part of the family. They didn't have rings to prove it yet but Amelia wagered that within five years both boys would be married with 2.5 children. It was a thought that she had to roll her eyes at.

"Yeah, yeah." Edgar said, pulling back from Delia, scanning the crowd behind her. "Say, you haven't seen Nathalia, have you?" he asked hopefully.

It was almost like it was planned. Nathalia tapped Edgar on the shoulder from behind, and just as quickly as he saw her, he was holding her. While Amelia never found his brother's relationship especially romantic, there was a certain way that they looked at each other and more often then not, Amelia chose to tear her eyes away from private moments like this.

"Looks like just about everyone is here." Elliot observed curiously.

"We ought to club him for that, don't you reckon, King?" the voice of Amos Diggory declared.

"I don't know about that." The booming voice of Kingsley reasoned. "We might be exempt from Quidditch if we do."

"If I hear another word about Quidditch before we set foot in that school …" Amelia trailed off.

"Good to see you, too, Lia." Amos grinned hugging her stiff and irritated frame.

"Don't mind her, Diggs." Edgar said with a wave of his hand and his greeted his best friends.

"She's been in a foul mood all morning." Elliot added and Cordelia elbowed him as if to chastise him.

"She probably just needs to see Emmeline. Then she'll cheer up." Nathalia said of the two best friends.

"Excuse me." Amelia said, grinning with wide eyes. "I'm right here and most certainly not a pronoun."

The only members of the squad missing where Emmeline and Xeno, though it was a safe best that they wouldn't see Xeno until he hurried at the last minute to get on the train as it was pulling away. Most of them greeted the two Quidditch Captains respectively.

"Lia." Edgar said to his sister, his light blue eyes twinkling. "Aren't you going to say hello to Kingsley?"

This was exactly what Edgar was good at. Pinpointing things he liked to see happen. Amelia wouldn't put it past him for envisioning a romantic feet-off-the-ground embrace between the two. She scrunched her face up at Edgar and turned to Kingsley with a brighter then usual face.

"Hello, Kingsley. It's so good to see you again." She said as if forcefully. "It's only been four days since the last time I saw you and already you're looking older. Where does the time go?" she said dryly.

"Hey, Lia." Kingsley said, rolling his eyes at the exchange between brother and sister.

While Amelia was constantly fighting Edgar's attempts at setting her up with the Gryffindor, Kingsley didn't mind so much. He had a lot of girlfriends in the past but no one made him laugh quite like his best mate's little sister. She was quirky and did things the hard way, a trait that he found quite admirable. He never paid much attention to her until she turned fourteen. The expression 'had grown up over the summer' was appropriate but didn't do her justice. She was no longer sharp and angular but curvy and soft. Her face had the appearance of a woman instead of a girl. And her eyes. He had noticed their unusual color before but now he couldn't stop noticing them. Despite his sudden attraction to Amelia, he hadn't made any sudden moves but he had planned on it.

Before the Bones left for France, Kingsley had spent almost all of his time at their house under the impression that he was there to see Edgar. In reality, he had been trying to get up the nerve to ask Amelia to do something, anything with him just so they could be alone. But she was confident and that was intimidating – and appealing – so he waited. It was this year, he decided, that he would try and get her alone. As Head Boy this year – and that had been one of Edgar's selling points – he would have to ride in a compartment with the Prefects, which Amelia was one of. He only hoped that they would be seated together.

"Look," Edgar said, indicating the girl with soft chestnut locks who made her way toward them at a bit of a run.

Emmeline Vance was smaller than Amelia but her energy and optimism made her that much taller. The two girls hadn't seen each other since the Marchbanks' Summer Solstice at the end of July as after the party, Amelia and her family left for France. But even a day apart was enough to drive the two girls mad.

"Emmeline!" Amelia grinned embracing the girl as they wobbled side to side in a hug.

"Just like a bad penny I'm not that easy to get rid of!" Emmeline teased, her grin a mile long.

"You have no idea how much I've missed you!" Amelia stressed, pulling back to get a good look at her friend.

"I think I can imagine. Have you been in sheer agony?" Emmeline said, throwing her hand against her forehead.

"Oh, it's been worse then that." Amelia nodded. "I've haven't been able to eat or sleep. Why, it's a wonder that I haven't lost the ability to speak."

"And wouldn't that be a shame." Edgar muttered when Amelia glared at him.

"I've missed you two." The Ravenclaw said to the brother and sister.

"And not me?" Amos said, pulling Emmeline toward him.

Amelia and the rest of the group directed their attention elsewhere while the four months strong couple shared a private moment. Sometimes, Amelia thought it would be best to give in to Edgar's wishes. Everyone else in the group had paired off with the exception of herself and Kingsley. It made sense. Just the same, while Amelia knew nothing about love or hearts skipping beats, but she was pretty sure that when she looked at Kingsley she shouldn't immediately think, 'Gee, his hair is large.'

"Alright, alright." Edgar said putting one arm around Amos' neck and the other around Kingsley's. "Men, we have loads to discuss. The upcoming season is crucial and I want to make sure that you're prepared for the loss of the House Cup. Quidditch isn't just fun and games anymore. It's blood, sweat and tears and I'll be damned-"

"ENOUGH!" Amelia yelled at Edgar. "I am going to break your broom in half if you say another word about that god-awful sport." She said tersely.

"Thalia," Edgar said to the blue-eyed beauty, "I'll catch up with you on the train. Some people don't appreciate the passions of their loved ones." Edgar said, throwing his head up in the air, pulling the two boys with him.

"It's an obsession!" Amelia called after them. "Em, I think my head might explode." She said, resting her head on Emmeline's shoulder.

"There, there." Emmeline grinned, patting Amelia's head softly.

"Right, well," Elliot said, "We're going to grab a compartment. We'll see you guys later on." As he departed, Cordelia and Nathalia followed, leaving the two girls to themselves among the crowd of people.

"Alright," Amelia said, turning to Emmeline after making sure they were alone, a devilish smile on her lips. "You have to tell me all about your summer with Famous Amos." She grinned.

"Lia," Emmeline said with a roll of her eyes. "You know I hate it when you call him that. And what summer are you talking about? He was at Quidd-" Emmeline started but Amelia cupped her hand over the girl's mouth.

"Please refrain from saying that word." Amelia pleaded.

"Okay, okay." Emmeline said, pulling her mouth away from Amelia's hand.

"Come on, Em. You must have spent some time together before he left." Amelia urged.

"Some is too optimistic." The girl said shaking her head. "We went to the Three Broomsticks once or twice and had lunch in London. But that was really it." She said shyly.

"Tell me," Amelia said biting her lip mischievously. "Was it famous?"

Laughing, Emmeline lightly shoved her friend. Amelia had been ecstatic when Amos and Emmeline started dating, perhaps more then the actual couple. She longed to see her friend happy and Amos seemed to make her so. The only problem was that Amos loved Quidditch more than almost anything else so he really had to put forth effort to see Emmeline. But it was evident that he really cared about her; any girl that could get Amos Diggory to spend an entire day without touching a broomstick had to be something special.

"Okay," Amelia sighed holding her hands up in surrender, "I promise, no more Amos jokes."

"Thank you." Emmeline nodded.

"It's a good thing that Shacklebolt doesn't rhyme with anything." Amelia said too quickly without thinking and Emmeline's chocolate brown eyed got wide.

"Amelia Susan Bones!" she grinned. "What are you not telling me? I knew that Kingsley was spending all of that time at your house for some reason! I just knew it. What happ-"

"Slow down, Vance." Amelia broke in, laughing. "Nothing happened – at all. I think all of Edgar's wishful thinking has severely damaged my cerebrum."

"So …" Emmeline trailed off, waiting for an additional response.

"So nothing. There is no immediate future for myself and Kingsley, I promise." Amelia said with a nod.

"Shucks." Emmeline frowned. "I was hoping that you, Nathalia and myself could all compare stories about dating a coveted Captain." She teased.

"Invite Narcissa Black to join us and you can count me in." Amelia said with a mock interest tone.

"Why on Earth are you talking about her?" the lithe and airy voice of Xenophilius Lovegood echoed from behind them.

At the same time, Amelia and Emmeline embraced their six foot tall friend with cheers of 'Xeno! We missed you!' Xeno, who squeezed the two girls tightly, had been away for the better half of the summer holiday in South America studying various types of Snarchems. His passion for strange creatures was undeniable.

"So," he started, shaking his mop of blonde hair out of crystal blue eyes, "why are we talking about Narcissa Black?"

"We were just discussing the possibility of inviting her to a Girlfriends Of The Captains get together." Emmeline stated matter of factly as Amelia gave her a burning look.

"Really?" Xeno said, nodding. "So that would mean Nathalia, you," he directed toward Emmeline, "Narcissa and … Who's King with?"

Emmeline turned from Xeno to Amelia triumphantly and the navy-eyed sixteen year old pursed her lips into a tight line.

"Ah." Xeno said. "I guess all of Edgar's pushing has finally paid off." He stated with a small nod.

"Oh, no." Amelia said shaking her head quickly. "No, not at all. Kingsley and I are just friends. Barely." She added for effect.

"Give it some time, Bones." Emmeline grinned. "You'll be all over him before the year is out."

"Xeno." Amelia said turning to the boy. "Would it be completely horrible if I jinxed her into submission?"

"As a Prefect, I'd say that would be setting a bad example." Xeno replied with a quiet grin.

"And you wouldn't want to do that." came the loving voice of Mrs. Bones

Much like her daughter, Adelina Bones stood very straight and very poised. For ages, all Bones' women had been schooled in music and the last few generations had been skilled pianists. Therefore, Amelia and her mother had immaculate posture. Unlike her daughter, however, Adelina Bones was nearly five foot eleven, almost as tall as her husband. This fact, however, did not stray from her motherly nature, not only from her own children, but Xeno and especially Emmeline as well.

"Hello, Emmeline, Xeno." Mrs. Bones said, nodding toward Xeno as she enveloped her second daughter in a comforting embrace.

"Hey Mrs. B." Xeno said.

"Hello, Mrs. Bones." Emmeline said, pulling away. "How are you?"

"I'm well, thank you." Mrs. Bones said with a nod. "And you?"

"Alright, I suppose." Emmeline said with a slight smile.

"How is your mother?" Mrs. Bones inquired with a quite curiosity that only Amelia and Emmeline picked up on.

"She's better. A bit tired, but well enough."

"I've been meaning to owl her but the timing was never right. I didn't want the message to be intercepted," she said in a voice loud enough for only the two girls to hear. Xeno, who was oblivious to the subtle hints that the women seemed to be eyeing each other with, had directed his attention to the book he had tucked under his arm and he begun flipping through the pages. "But Amelia and myself wanted to extend the invitation to you and your mother to come stay with us over the winter holidays."

"Thank you, Mrs. Bones, but I wouldn't want to impose-"

"Really, Em." Amelia said, "We have too much room as it is."

"It's the least we can do," Mrs. Bones continued. "Besides, it will be good to see your mother again."

"I'll .. I'll let her know." Emmeline nodded.

"To right you will." Mrs. Bones said knowingly.

A secret was shared between Amelia, Emmeline and Mrs. Bones, perhaps one of the best kept in the Wizarding World.

Alexander Vance was a great Auror. He had helped to capture some of the most dangerous wizards and with the upcoming turmoil with a certain dark wizard, he was one of the most prized workers. He was an amazing man when he was sober. He loved his family, but he loved firewhiskey more and two of seven nights a week, it got the better of him. Most of his drunken anger was taken out on fine china and household objects, at least, up until one year ago.

Amelia has suspected that things in the Vance household weren't quite right. Emmeline frequently wrote home and often cried in her sleep during their fifth year, calling her mother's name. It was when Amelia found Emmeline huddled in the owlery, clutching her mother's letter, sobbing that she finally forced her friend to tell her the truth. Alexander Vance had been targeting his wife, emotionally, mentally, and physically. Abuse was not exempt from the Wizarding World. Amelia told her mother shortly thereafter even though Emmeline begged her not to, but Amelia prided herself on honesty, even in the most direr of situations. Mrs. Bones was deeply upset with the news, but waited before telling her husband and advised the two girls to keep the information between them.

At the Marchbanks annual Summer Solstice, Alexander Vance arrived with his wife, Elizabeth and daughter, Emmeline. However, only if looking for it did one notice the faint circles under Elizabeth's eyes, the remnants of a bruise on her cheek she had forgotten to hide, the slight limp in her step and the wince as she took it. Amelia and her mother later found out that Mr. Vance forbade his wife from using magic after one of their bouts. Amelia mulled over the thought that he, in a sick state of mind, wanted to display his work.

Mrs. Bones had decided right then and there that Elizabeth and Emmeline needed help but Elizabeth had outright refused to leave the man she loved. Because Emmeline would not leave her mother by herself at the hands of her father, the Bones women found themselves watching a vicious cycle. The timing was terrible; almost directly after the Solstice, the Bones made their trip to France. Mrs. Bones decided that both Emmeline and her mother would spend the holiday with her family, whether they liked it or not.

Neither Emmeline nor Elizabeth could admit that they man they knew five years ago had turned into a monster. It was when Emmeline spoke of her father's achievements that Amelia wondered is she realized who he really was. Emmeline was, of course, secretive about her family and the only person she sought to confide in was Amelia. Not even Edgar or Elliot knew of her circumstance, and especially not Amos. Emmeline had made of a point of avoiding all conversation about her father with him.

"We'd be much obliged." Emmeline said with a genuine smile.

"Good." Mrs. Bones said happily. "And Xeno." She said, tearing the boy away from his reading material. "You and your family are welcome to come stay with us as well."

"Thanks Mrs. B, but we're heading to Russia right after the holiday break starts. It's the only time of year when you can properly observe the mating rituals of vertcouchers." He said pointedly.

"I see." Mrs. Bones said with a quizzical look before bidding farewell to the children and making her way back to her husband.

"Mating rituals?" Emmeline posed as soon as Mrs. Bones walked away. "Hey, Lia-"

"Don't you dare." Amelia said, shaking her head with a grin.

"Just a suggestion." Emmeline shrugged.

"OY!" Edgar called to the three Ravenclaws. "You'd all better get a move on. The train is about to pull out of the station. Lia, you can stay behind if you'd like. I think it'd make our lives all a little less hectic."

Amelia rolled her eyes at her brother's sarcasm and headed toward the train with Emmeline and Xeno. Because Amelia, Edgar, Nathalia, Cordelia and Elliot were Prefects, they'd have to sit with the other title holders of their appointed years which left Emmeline and Xeno in a compartment by themselves. It wouldn't be such a long ride for Edgar and Elliot as they had someone to talk to. While Amelia got along with Benjy Fenwick and Hufflepuff Prefects Caradoc Dearborn and Charlotte Hutchinson, she wasn't the best of friends with any of them. She had known them all since her entrance at Hogwarts and Benjy was, of course, a member of her own house. Caradoc was someone that she enjoyed the company of and had at one point in time been close with. She assumed that it was going to be a long ride.

Upon entering the sixth year Prefect compartment, Amelia scanned the representative from each house. From Ravenclaw, herself and Benjy. From Hufflepuff, Caradoc and Charlotte. From Gryffindor, Dedalus Diggle and Hestia Jones. And from Slytherin, Walden MacNair and Alecto Carrow. The Slytherins sat on the right side of the compartment closest to the window and Alecto seemed to be pulling her hangnails out while Walden raised an eyebrow at her actions. Beside them Hestia and Dedalus were arguing over various Quidditch players. On the left closest to the door, Charlotte was immersed in a muggle novel and Caradoc seemed to be asleep. Beside him, Benjy was getting a jump on the Charms material for the upcoming year. Taking a seat beside him and across from Alecto, Amelia leaned her head against the window and closed her eyes as the train jerked out of the station.


	3. Two

Amelia had been a Prefect in her fifth year, so she was accustomed to riding to Hogwarts without her best friends by her side, but when she made rounds she was granted a chance to talk to them for a few minutes. However, each time she offered to scan the train, Charlotte, Hestia and Dedalus insisted.

So, instead of playing cards with Emmeline and Xeno, she was stuck watching Alecto Carrow chew the ends of her ratty and seemingly unwashed hair, Walden smooth out his shirt and straighten his tie each time the train jostled, Benjy speed read his way through texts on Charms and Transfiguration, and Caradoc change positions each time he awoke from his short lived naps. She almost wished that Kingsley would come by – at least it would be someone to talk to.

When Hestia and Dedalus came back without the Hufflepuff, Amelia raised an eyebrow.

"Where's Charlotte?" she posed, her eyes moving back and forth between the two Gryffindors.

"No idea." Hestia said shortly, brushing her tasseled hair away from her face.

"Haven't seen her." Dedalus shrugged, a little breathless.

Amelia exchanged looks with the other members of the compartment who seemed to be thinking the same thing in regards to the Gryffindors.

"'Course you wouldn't have. You were too busy snogging." Caradoc said, his eyes half closed.

A curious trait of Gryffindors, they were too proud to be embarrassed so when neither of them flushed in the face or retorted with something witty, no one was surprised. Alecto even stopped pulling the threads out of her skirt to listen in.

"Just the same," Hestia said, "We didn't see her."

"I'll go look for her." Benjy volunteered before Amelia had the chance to.

He stood and reached for the latch when it opened. Most of them assumed the missing party had returned but it wasn't Charlotte. Far from it.

"Sorry, Benj." Kingsley said, stepping aside to let him out. Once Benjy had disappeared, Kingsley took Benjy's vacated seat beside Amelia, flashing him a grin.

"What're you doing in here?" Amelia asked, puzzled.

"It's good to see you, too, Lia." He teased.

"I didn't mean it that way." She corrected. "Shouldn't you be patrolling or something?"

"Andromeda's got it covered." Kingsley said of the Head Girl.

At the mention of the Black sister, Alecto snorted. Andromeda, most knew, went against her family and didn't hold true to their beliefs. An outcast of sorts, she was usually shunned by her own house for her behavior.

"Damn blood-traitor." Alecto sneered.

"That's enough." Walden said to the black haired witch. Of the two Slytherins in the compartment, Amelia reasoned, Walden seemed to be the lesser of two evils; a bit concerned with order and consistency, but hardly as ruthless as his female counterpart.

"Thinks she too good for us. Won't even eat with us. Sits with your lot." She said to Amelia in reference to the Ravenclaw house.

"Piss off, Alecto." Amelia said with a narrow of her eyes and a slight shake of her head.

"What's the problem, Bones?" She asked, cocking her head to the side, her green eyes catlike. "You of all people should understand. What is it? Six or seven Pureblood generations in your family?"

"Alecto-" Walden started but she cut him off.

"Shut it, MacNair." She seethed, her eyes still fixed on Amelia. "You're just as bad as she is-"

"Carrow." Kingsley said firmly, his eyes hard. "Another word and I'll see to it that-"

"No surprise that you'd stick up for her, Shacklebolt." She snorted. "Are you the one that's swooning over Miss Amelia here-" Walden quickly covered her mouth with his hand and grabbed her by the arm.

"We're going to do rounds." He explained to the group before whispering to her "This is not the place or the time."

As they exited, it was clear that Alecto was biting him, kicking him in the shin, anything to get him to let go of her. An awkward silence fell over the compartment and Amelia wasn't sure what to say. Alecto was right about her family being Pureblooded for generations and generations but it wasn't intentional. Happenstance, that was all that it was. Even for Edgar and Elliot, Nathalia and Cordelia were from Pureblooded families. It just happened that way.

Kingsley, who had been called out on his feelings for Amelia, looked a little embarrassed, but not enough to avert his eyes from her. Quite the opposite, he was staring, which, in turn, caused her to lock her eyes on the carpet. She didn't fancy having this conversation with Kingsley right now, or any time in the near future. What Amelia most wanted was to sleep for the remainder of the ride.

"Hestia," Dedalus said shortly, "It might be a good idea to look for Benjy and Charlotte."

"Right," Hestia nodded, "Good idea. Caradoc, why don't you come along with us?" The idea the two Gryffindors had was to one, leave Amelia and Kingsley alone to talk things over, and two, to get away from everyone so they could pick up where they had left off.

"No, that's alright." Caradoc said, seeming to have sensed that the Ravenclaw did not want to be left alone with the Head Boy. "I think I'll stick around here."

"But-"

"Don't you have tonsil hockey to play?" Caradoc said to the two, which was enough for them to leave.

Kingsley, who was currently pissed off with Caradoc for his refusal to leave, sighed heavily before standing. Turning to Amelia before he reached that latch of the door, he said,

"I'll see you at dinner, Lia." And with that, he was gone.

After Kingsley disappeared, Amelia let out a heavy sigh that suggested that she had been holding her breath, and this made Caradoc laugh. Turning to him, she pivoted her framed so that she was leaning against the window and stretched her feet out in front of her long-ways as Caradoc did the same thing, his toes touching her own.

"So," he began, a smile tugging at his lips. "Who are you more angry at? Alecto for being a foul loudmouth, or the Gryffindors for trying to 'create a moment?'"

"That depends," she said after a pause, "What are you more impressed with? Your ability to embarrass Hestia and Dedalus or your ability to kick them out of the compartment?"

And for the remainder of the train ride – at least, until both of them fell asleep – they went back forth with a variety of questions. Amelia was thankful to at least have Caradoc, who she always seemed to get along with, share the sixth year Prefect title with her. It meant that when they had progress report meetings with Professor Dumbledore, she would have someone to talk to.

Amelia was sound asleep when the train stopped, and all of the other sixth year Prefects had vacated the compartment to change into their robes and greet the first years. Caradoc had tried to wake Amelia but she rolled over and muttered something along the lines up, 'I'm awake, I just need my eyes to adjust.' And Caradoc took this as a suitable response when he left her.

Though she was being shaken awake gently by a pair of soft hands, Amelia woke with a start, her head moving faster then her body in an effort to figure out what was happening. She scanned the compartment and realized that her joint titleholders had left her. When she turned to see who had graciously offered to wake her, she was surprised, although part of her suggested that she shouldn't have been.

Walden MacNair's sapphire eyes stared down at her, his face apologetic and a little embarrassed.

"Come on, Bones." He said with no particular tone. "The train is about to leave the station. You don't fancy a ride all the way back to London, do you?" he said with a slight smile.

Amelia looked at him curiously, confused. He was a Slytherin; he should leave her on the train and run to tell his friends what he just let happen. Alecto would certainly be proud, Amelia thought bitterly.

"Why are you being nice to me?" she blurted out, still in her sleeplike state. "I mean, why have you always been so nice to me?" When she stood, she still had to look up at him, which made her feel smaller then she already was. Throughout the train ride and even throughout their time at Hogwarts, he had never made a snide remark or laughed at her, something she thought odd. She never complained, but she was curious.

Walden laughed at this, his teeth as straight as his tie and as white as the crisp cotton button down he wore under his robe.

"Why shouldn't I be?" he posed, folding arms across his chest.

His question was quick and she didn't see it coming. She would have expected a response that was more like 'because I have to' or 'Kingsley is outside listening.' For him to offer up a response that suggested that this was the right thing to do was unnerving.

Amelia shrugged lightly with an embarrassed grin and made for the door when he pulled it closed.

"I want an answer."

Amelia sighed before answering, unsure of how to word her thoughts without sounding like a bigoted git. She didn't get along well with Slytherins, any of them. Walden, who had been in nearly all of her classes since they were first years, should have known this. When they were thirteen, Amelia threw a potions bottle at Amycus Carrow for trying to look at her exam answers. Last year she charmed textbooks to whack Patrick Greengrass in the back of the head for asking her if she needed her lips surgically removed from Professor Flitwick's behind. She had gotten into countless arguments with Winifred Kirby over the years ranging from everything to lessons to the war. When Amelia saw anything clothed in green in the halls, her mood fell considerably. Saying that she hated most members of the Slytherin house was a vast understatement.

"Your house doesn't exactly have a reputation for being friendly." She said with a knowing look.

"Neither does yours." He said, without missing a beat.

Walden knew that Amelia was going to say something stereotypical and was ready with a retort. While he couldn't deny that Ravenclaws were among the most good looking and intelligent, the air that they had about made them less so. They flaunted their smarts, even Amelia. They were quick to correct others and make sure that their opinion was heard.

If there were any two houses that were alike, it was Slytherin and Ravenclaw. Both were witty and cunning. Though Ravenclaw was known for their intelligence, Slytherin was a very close second. The major difference was that Slytherins just made their presence known more often.

"Stuck up, pompous, know-it-all arses. That's what Ravenclaws are, right?"

"No!" she said, offended, her jaw dropping. "Not at all! Well, some," she offered, "but not everyone. That's-" she stopped, closing her eyes. "That's your point."

"Exactly." He nodded, dropping his arm from the latch, allowing her to pass. "And," he added as she was about to cross the threshold, "for the record, I've never been nice to you; I treat you like I would any Pureblood." He said matter-of-factly.

"But what about what Alecto said about-" she started.

"Alecto." Walden said as if her name was a complete sentence in and of itself. Running his tongue over his teeth before breaking into a grin, he continued. "You've known her six years now, Bones. You tell me. But as far as I'm concerned, you're okay."

Amelia grinned lightly and nodded, grabbing her robe and saddlebag before departing to the hallway. She didn't know how long she had been asleep but it was evident that all of the other students had already gotten off of the train. Lateness being one of her pet peeves, she quickly threw her robe over her shoulders hoping to conceal the fact that she had yet to change into her uniform. After securing her bag over her shoulder, she flipped open the top and checked to make sure that she had all of her belongings. Stepping onto the lift, Amelia nearly jumped onto the platform, her eyes still fixated on the textbooks and number of quills she had.

Fall had always been her favorite season; the smell of maple, burning leaves and the overall feeling of change. The pavement was slick beneath her shoes, the sound of her steps echoing in the empty station as the train began pulling away.

Her thoughts drifted back to what Walden had said and she thought for a moment that maybe not all of his housemates were as horrible as Alecto. As her mind recounted the words Walden had said and her eyes scanned the inside of her bag, she was oblivious when she collided face first into the stone hard chest of another figure who had turned in her direction at precisely the wrong moment.

Amelia fell to the ground, landing square on her backside, the wetness from the ground soaking through her clothes, her texts spilling out of her bag like water from a faucet. As she raised her gaze, her heart rate sped up and a shiver ran through her bones.

She was not scared of Lucius Malfoy, though she did most certainly didn't go out of her way to cross him. She had heard all of the stories about him; how ruthless, how cruel, how horrible. When she started at Hogwarts, he was one of the first people Edgar had told her to steer clear of. Quickly reaching for her belongings, she shoved them back into her bag carelessly.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly, shaking her head. "I wasn't watching were I was going." Amelia's voice was nonchalant, as though bumping into the head of Slytherin was nothing to be taken too seriously. "Really Lucius-" she started as she brought herself up to her feet, clutching her bag against her chest.

Amelia's apology was cut off. The six foot one blonde placed his index finger to her rapidly moving lips, systematically silencing her. His skin was cold, much like his heart and his eyes bore into her, a piercing grey stare. He had not anticipated speaking to her at all, just casting her a scowl and continuing to walk past her. But her informal use of his name set him off.

"When addressing me," he sad in a velvety voice, a tone that was seductive without trying to be, "you will do so with no name other then 'Malfoy,' even better if you don't address me at all. And the next time you condescend to speak to me in such a manner, I will not be as forgiving." He said matter of factly.

Amelia's eyes darted to his head, to his finger at her lips up to his eyes, which she had to crane her neck to see properly. She had, of course, expected his reaction to be unpleasant, which was why she was a little unnerved. But his tone was uncalled for and she intended to let him know it.

Swiftly pushing his hand aside, Amelia narrowed her dark blue eyes, her lips twisted into a thin line.

"I'm sorry, Malfoy," she said, heavy emphasis on his surname, "but your ego takes up so much room that it's difficult for those of us who aren't accustomed to tending to it to realize when we're about to walk into its airspace." She said evenly, her bag now slung across her shoulder, her hands folded across her chest. "What have you got now? A twelve foot range? Miss Black been whispering pretty lines in your ear to add to your vanity?"

Malfoy's face, if possible, turned harder and his lips contorted into a sinister smile, as though he knew something that she did not and planned to use it to his advantage.

"Bones, is it?" he said, her surname sounding strangely foreign on his tongue. "Yes, Edgar's little sister. The phrase is true – the apple really doesn't fall far from the tree." He continued, giving her a onceover that made her feel both disgusted and violated.

"Leave my family out of this." She said firmly.

"I've heard about you. Quite a quick tongue you've got. I'd commend you on your bold stature but I don't tolerate wistfulness from anyone." He said sharply. "Especially brats like yourself."

"I suspect your father is an exception, then." She said without hesitation.

Amelia knew more about Arabaxtus Malfoy then one should, thanks in large part to Rita Skeeter. Rita, for a reason none of her housemates could explain, harbored an absurd obsession with the Malfoys mainly because she was under the impression that they had dozens of secrets. For instance, the last two generations consisted of one child per marriage, and both children had been boys. 'It's a good thing their male heir survived,' Rita had said, 'because Merlin knows that years of inbreeding severely damaged their genetic chain.' How she came up with her information and theories, they didn't know. But she seemed too sure of herself for them to question her.

At the mention of his father, Malfoy's eyes narrowed art her remark, livid. His hands formed into angry fists, his knuckles turning a stark white.

"Keep my father's name out of your mouth." He said through clenched teeth, taking a threatening step closer to her.

"Do I detect some hostility between father and son?" she challenged, staring up at him, his frame towering over her with ease.

"You insolent, little-" he began, raising his hand as if to strike her when he was caught off guard by the soft voice of Narcissa Black.

"Lucius?" she called from the far end of the station, making her way toward the arguing students.

Narcissa was tall and elegant, and almost seemed to float rather then walk. Her hair was a corn silk blond and fell around her waist in a flaxen manner. Her eyes were cornflower blue and beneath their hard exterior there was a compassion that one had to search for. Her face was delicate and her features sharp, a combination only one of her confidence could pull off. Nearly every girl in the school envied her, even Amelia, though most wouldn't admit it.

"You're lucky." He breathed, turning away from Amelia and to Narcissa.

"Lucius," Narcissa said cocking her head to the side. "Stop harassing Ravenclaws – they're not worth it."

At her remark, Amelia debated on retorting but held her tongue; she had already wasted too much time arguing with lesser beings.

"Besides," Narcissa continued, "Prefects have to make a good impression." She said knowingly.

"Prefects?" Amelia said in disbelief without realizing it. She could almost understand Narcissa being a Prefect – she hadn't been wholly corrupted by Malfoy and her older sister, Bellatrix. There was still time for her to turn out to be decent human being. Malfoy on the other hand; he was already too far-gone for anyone to bring out any good in him.

"That's right. Lucius and I both." Narcissa stated proudly, though Malfoy rolled his eyes, a bit agitated at the mention of his title.

Amelia knew he had been a Prefect in both his fifth and sixth year because Edgar often mentioned that he missed meetings regularly. She found it odd that he was offered the position again for such disregard of its entailments. Shaking her head with a mocking grin, Amelia looked up at the both of them.

"In that case," she said, pulling her own Prefect badge out of her bag and pinning it loosely on her robe, "we'd all better get going."

"Don't tell me-" Malfoy began.

"I won't." Amelia said cockily. "Here's to not seeing you around." She said brushing past the both of them and hurrying to the boats to catch up with the first years.

Narcissa folded her arms across her chest and watched as Amelia walked off. She turned to Malfoy, whose hands were shoved into his pockets and his eyes were fixed on the ground.

"What did she mean by that?" the girl asked, unsure of whether or not to be offended.

Malfoy looked at Narcissa without answering as he placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her toward the castle.

–––––––––––––

When Amelia reached the Black Lake, all of the first years had already piled into the boats and Hagrid informed Amelia that she wasn't needed. Feeling a bit dejected, Amelia turned and headed for the carriages in hopes that she hadn't missed out on those, too. Thankfully, she was able to catch one of the final rides to the castle in a carriage by herself and changed into her uniform along the way. Once she had reached the front doors, she nearly ran into the Great Hall, brushing past the awaiting first years.

In the Great Hall, the sky was lit up with floating candles and a clear night sky much like the one outside. From the entrance, the table on the far left belonged to Slytherin, beside them, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and on the far right, Hufflepuff. Because Edgar was now a seventh year and the self-appointed Head of House, he sat on the end, close to the professors, Nathalia beside him. Kingsley usually sat across from him, but because it was the first feast of the year, the Gryffindor sat with his own housemates, and Amelia aimed to take his vacated position. Beside Amelia, sat Emmeline, who was across from Elliot and Cordelia respectively. Amos, who had taken to sitting with the Ravenclaws during mealtimes late in the previous year, usually took a seat beside Emmeline.

It was clear that the Headmaster was just about to make his opening speech in welcoming everyone back to school and bring the first years in to be sorted. Amelia hurried to the front of the table, trying not to draw too much attention to herself, though it was next to impossible; the hall had fallen silent for the Headmaster and all anyone could hear was the clicking on Amelia's shoes against the stone floor.

Sliding in beside Emmeline, Amelia cast an apologetic look to her professors and turned her eyes on Edgar who grinned at her mockingly.

"Shut it, Edgar." Amelia whispered.

"Uh .. Lia," Emmeline whispered to her friend discretely. "Your shirt is on inside out."

Amelia looked down at her blouse to find that the buttons on her blouse were fastened on the underside of her shirt. Sinking against the table, Amelia ignored it and focused her attention on the first years that were making their way in.

Amelia and Edgar liked to take bets on which eleven year olds would be joining them. The wager was small – whoever lost had to do both of their Charms homework – but it was the sport of it. In years previous, Edgar usually won but Amelia as generally a good sport about it. It gave her a chance to learn new material and be prepared for the following year. Elliot once tried to get in on the game but he lost miserably and his older siblings hardly counted his opinion either way.

There was one occasion when Amelia had won and it was by chance. Edgar had been going on and on about a boy with sandy colored hair and a pale face. 'He just looks smart, Lia.' Edgar had said. Amelia was so aggravated with Edgar's confidence that she up and decided that he was a Gryffindor just to make her brother angry. As it turned out, while Remus Lupin certainly had the intelligence to be a Ravenclaw, he was destined to be a Gryffindor

"Right there," Edgar said, pointing to tall boy with shaggy dark brown hair, "He's definitely a Ravenclaw."

"Hardly." Amelia said with a shake of head. "He wouldn't know a confundus charm from a bat bogey hex." Amelia said with a roll of her eyes. "Now her," Amelia said indicating a girl who stood toward the front of the line, "She looks the part."

"The part?" Edgar said with furrowed eyebrows. "What is this? A casting call? She's a bloody Hufflepuff. Just look at the way she stands! All hunched over and fidgety."

"She's not hunched over." Emmeline said, directing Amelia's attention to a pair of Gryffindor boys who were giggling as the girl tried to shoo away what appeared to be a niffler. "She's terrified."

"James!" Amelia whispered harshly across the row at James Potter and his partner in crime, Sirius Black, who rolled his eyes at Amelia. "The both of you, stop it!"

"Don't lose your skin, Bones." James said easily and charmed the niffler back to him when the Great Hall erupted in applause.

"See! I told you, Lia." Edgar said, giving a high-five to the boy he had been betting on. "Oy! All of you, move down! Todd needs a place to sit." Edgar called, scooting down so Todd Boot could take a seat beside him. "Todd," Edgar said, clapping him on the back, "Welcome to Ravenclaw."

Amelia and Emmeline rolled their eyes as Edgar gave the boy a pep talk about what to expect and what not to expect when the hall erupted in cheers once again for the girl whom Amelia had chosen who was sorted into Ravenclaw.

"Make room!" Amelia called to the rest of the table as Lindsay Barstowe sat down. "We're glad to have you, Lindsay." Amelia said encouragingly, casting a look of triumph at Edgar.

Throughout the rest of the feast, neither of them guessed the correct sorting for the first years, though Elliot gave his siblings knowing looks every once in a while as though he was winning his own private game.

Each house reacted similarly when someone was sorted into his or her house. Cheers and applause broke out across the tables and the Heads of House beamed. The Quidditch Captains, who seemed to be the leaders of their respective houses, greeted each new member with a warm grin, even Malfoy, though Amelia hardly paid much attention to the Slytherin table. Her attention was divided among the three remaining houses and she found her eyes darting back and forth between her own table and the one behind her.

Whenever Gryffindor garnered a new house member, Kingsley embraced each one of them warmly and introduced them to everyone within the vicinity. Amelia watched as he seemed to take each nervous and petrified newcomer under his wing and assure them of the new friends they were going to make. As Head Boy, Amelia supposed he was expected to behave this way. But it was effortless. It was who he was and it was endearing.

And unfortunately, Edgar didn't miss it.

"Liiiiia." Edgar said with an annoying drawl. "Is it my imagination or are you gawking at King?"

Edgar's face was that of an excited toddler who had just been granted another chocolate chip cookie or a brand new toy. The arrangement of his sister and best mate was a long time coming and he had hoped that maybe the two would make a connection on their own without too much of his own intervention.

"I don't gawk." Amelia protested, turning back to her meal.

"Well whatever it is you do," he pressed, "You're doing it at King."

Amelia shot a burning glare at her brother, but was biting back a grin she was sure wouldn't go unnoticed at the same time. She had to admit several things about Kingsley. While he was undeniably good looking, he had a way with people that certainly make him attractive. He was bold and charismatic and kept his friends laughing. The sixteen year old would never admit it aloud but she was reevaluating her decision not to get involved.

"Hey, Lia." Benjy called from down the row. "We ought to get going with this lot, yeah?" he said in reference to showing the first years around.

As sixth year Prefects, the arrangement had been made that she and Benjy would herd the students around like cattle and show them the ins and outs of the school. Edgar and Nathalia – ironically enough - seventh year Prefects, would be tied up in a meeting with the Headmaster on what was expected of them. The fifths year were still getting used to the title and taking on the responsibility of showing them the castle was a bit too much. Instead, the following day, they would take them around the castle grounds.

After the Headmaster had finished bidding goodnight and good luck to the student body, Amelia and Benjy rose and beckoned the new Ravenclaws toward the entrance hall.

The tour itself of the school was boring; where the library was, where the classrooms were located and the most direct route to get there.

"The school's a pretty big place," Amelia said to the wide-eyed students, "But if you ever get lost, there is a way to find your way back to the tower."

"If you notice," Benjy jumped in, "All along the castle walls, there are portraits of famous witches and wizards throughout the ages." He said, indicating several of the portraits on either side of the corridor.

"Those who had been in Ravenclaw," Amelia pointed out, "Are all facing toward the East, the location of Ravenclaw Tower."

"How do we tell East from West?" Lindsay asked curiously.

"The direction of the sun." Benjy said with a nod.

"It rises in the East and sets in the West." Amelia chipped in as they stopped in front of the entrance to Ravenclaw Tower.

"You'll find that while most houses require a password to gain access to the common room and dormitories, Ravenclaw requires the answer to a riddle." Benjy informed them promptly.

"So if another house lets their password slip, anyone can enter. But the riddles change everyday, for everyone."

"And because you're the smartest in the school," Benjy grinned, "You shouldn't have a problem figuring it out."

"For example," Amelia said, turning a wooden door without a handle. Using the Eagle shaped knocker, Amelia rapped on the door twice when the bird chirped and asked, 'It is a slither in the water.' Without hesitation, Amelia replied, "It is a soar in the sky."

Stepping back, Amelia let Benjy lead the students into the common room and was just about to follow when she heard her name on the lips of a deep voice. Turning, Amelia felt her lips break into a grin at the sight of Kingsley.

"Anyone could have figured that out." He said in reference to the riddle, his face bright.

"Which is why you've been to Ravenclaw Tower so many times." Amelia said with a slight smirk.

Kingsley had tried to access Ravenclaw Tower many times before due quarrels over Quidditch schedules or to remind Edgar of a Prefects meeting that had suddenly come up. But he tried to no avail. Each time he thought he had the answer to one of the many riddles; he ended up right back where he started.

Folding her arms across her chest, she leaned her body against the wall, the day's events catching up with her. "I thought you had to meet with the Headmaster."

"I did." Kingsley explained. "But he asked Andromeda and myself to check up on the sixth year Prefects. You know," he shrugged, "Make sure you're doing your job."

"Yeah?" Amelia asked with a grin. "Tell me, am I cut out for a career in tourism, or do I need more practice?" she joked.

"I think you could stand to hone your skills. But you did a better job then Hestia and Dedalus. Merlin," he said with a wide grin, "Everything they said was an innuendo. 'You can find the entrance here.' 'Make sure you say the password nice and slow so that it can hear you properly.' The poor first years had no idea what they were talking about."

"Somehow I'm not surprised. They couldn't keep their hands off each other on the train. Neither could Walden and Alecto, now that I think about it." Amelia said with a soft laugh.

"I don't think beating each other counts as any kind of affection or flirting, Lia." Kingsley replied.

Amelia was silent for a moment and kept her eyes focused on Kingsley, who also seemed to run out of things to say. She weighed the pros and cons of the situation in her mind; if she agreed to date Kingsley, she wouldn't be losing anything, not necessarily. She had no problems with the dark skinned Gryffindor and she really couldn't find anything about him unlikable. She wasn't seeing anyone else and had no real intentions of doing so.

If she did start seeing Kingsley, of course, it would turn into something serious. In a nutshell, she was almost agreeing to marry him now. But on the bright side, they would both be in the same line of work, have a stable home together and everyone would be ecstatic with their union. What was the worse that could happen?

"Then why don't you show me what does?" Amelia prompted, offering Kingsley a look that was inviting and understanding.

As much as Kingsley liked Amelia, he didn't quite fashion their first kiss in a dimly lit corridor outside of the Ravenclaw Tower. He would have hoped they might get to know each other first. But in all honestly, they already knew everything about each other. Edgar had done a good job of slipping obscure facts about the other into his conversations. It was hardly subtle, but it was certainly helpful.

Kingsley already knew Amelia's favorite ice cream flavor, what she preferred on her waffles, who her favorite author was, why she liked winter, her biggest pet peeve. Raspberry, powered sugar and Vermont Maple Syrup, Robert Frost, because the snow looked like diamonds, and dishonesty. It was almost as though they had been together all this time and were just getting around to accepting it.

Just the same, it wasn't really fair. Kingsley should woo her and be a gentleman, not put the moves on his best mate's little sister because she was looking at him through those unbelievably blue eyes.

"Lia-" Kingsley began, ready to block his own shot because it was 'the right thing to do.' Sometimes, he hated being a Gryffindor. But before he could explain his reasoning, she cut him off.

"Kingsley." Amelia started. "I know what Edgar's been trying to do and I know you've been going along with it."

"It's not like that-" He began again. He hated for Amelia to think that he was shallow and was only chasing after her because he could. Genuinely, he liked her, and he wanted her to know that.

"Regardless." She interrupted. "I'm starting to think that maybe Edgar wasn't completely wrong." She said, her eyes softer then he had ever seen them.

Kingsley was, indeed, surprised and a little elated. This meant a number of things, one of them being that he was free to spend time with Amelia without feeling like she didn't want him around, because obviously, she did. Now, he wouldn't have to second guess himself if he sat next to her at dinner and all thoughts of 'is this okay?' could be laid to rest. Kingsley opened his mouth to speak when Amelia spoke again.

"And if you tell him I said any of that I promise that I will hex the daylights out of you." She said with a teasing grin.

"Okay." Kingsley said, laughing. "I won't say anything."

Kingsley looked at Amelia in the dimly lit corridor, seeing her in the light he had always wanted to, but had resisted for so long. Her features were soft, and even in the darkness the navy of her irises were impeccable. Her cheekbones were strong and without even trying, she emitted confidence. Without even touching it, her knew the texture of her hair was fine. His eyes warmed over her face, memorizing each detail, because now, he could.

Without the hesitation he had harbored before, Kingsley rubbed his thumb across her cheek, her skin smooth and cool, and the light powder of her foundation against his fingertips. They were not terribly far apart, but it was enough of a distance that Kingsley had to take two steps to close the gap.

With a sweep of her eyelashes, Kingsley placed his lips swiftly against her own, her mouth warm and inviting, perhaps more then it should have been. Regardless, Kingsley inhaled the scent of her, his bottom lip dancing with her own. He was taller then she was and she had to tilt her head upwards to reach him, and he took notice of her nerves. She was small and he let his hands rest on her hips, his fingers curving perfectly around her frame. It was like a puzzle and together they were a sung fit.

Kingsley pulled away after a moment and opened his eyes to find her own blue orbs looking back at him. Her lips were a pale pink, her cheeks flushed - even in the light he could tell - and her eyelashes swept over her eyes, a bit stunned. Her hands rested on his upper arms and she looked at him in a way that she never had before. A way that suggested that he was the only person she wanted to be with. Her hair fell around her face and the navy blue of the ribbon she wore in her hair caught the light, just so, making her even more dreamlike then he remembered.

For Kingsley Shacklebolt, Amelia Bones was perfect.

Amelia let Kingsley kiss her for two reasons. The first, because she wanted to know what it would feel like. The second, because she had nothing better to do. She was not seeing anyone and did not have any plans on seeing anyone. The harm in dating Kingsley even if she wasn't fully interested was minimal for Amelia. They got along, liked each other well enough and in so many ways, it was bound to happen.

His breath was hot against her and she could smell the cherry scent of his skin. The threads of his tie brushed along her neck and she felt a shiver run through her. She thought for a moment that this was the feeling. The feeling one is supposed to get when they find the one. After he pulled away to look at her though, she surmised that it was just the texture of his clothing.

The chestnut amber of his eyes made her focus. She knew that she appeared to be enthralled by him, but in reality, she was stunned by the pigment of his eyes. They were beautiful and she immediately felt guilty for thinking that they would look even better on someone she really wanted to be with.

For Amelia Bones, Kingsley Shacklebolt was substantial.

Amelia offered Kingsley a smile as he disappeared into the darkness. When she traveled to France over the summer, Emmeline had insisted that Amelia read the dozens of broken spine Jane Austen novels that she read time and time again. Amelia had protested, claiming that her academic reading was much more important but Emmeline had insisted.

At first, Amelia was reluctant. She had no interest in the trappings of love – she wasn't meant for that sort of thing. But through Emmeline's persistence of 'this will be your year,' Amelia consumed page after page of Miss Austen's novels. The story of Elinor and Edward in Sense and Sensibility – how she suppressed her adoration for a man that was not meant for her. The blind affection between in Emma between Emma and Knightly, who proposes at the novels end. Amelia frequently slipped herself into the heroine's shoes, creating that face of the mean she'd fallen in love with. She knew that in her heart one day a gentleman with good intentions would steal her own affection. And in her recent conversation with Kingsley, whose own name mirrored that of Knightly, Amelia thought that maybe she had found him. Yes, perhaps that maybe she had. She brushed her hair away from her face along with the fact that Kingsley had not, as Mr. Darcy had done with Elizabeth Bennett, rendered her speechless.


	4. Three

Amelia returned to the Tower to find Emmeline, Rita and Elliot going on about their business. Rita was hunched over a black and white composition book, her green feather pen clutched in her cramped hand. Elliot sat at one of the many desks folding paper back and forth in an attempt to make a Japanese Origami bird. Emmeline sat in one of the large chairs, her legs draped over the arm, Pride and Prejudice in her hands. Amelia grinned inwardly. Emmeline had wasted no time going through her friend's things in pursuit of one of her most beloved possessions. Amelia sighed. It was good to be home.

The Ravenclaw Common Room reminded Amelia very much of her own room in some respects; Draperies hung beside the windows. The walls were covered from the floor to the ceiling with literature from all of the greats; Dickens, Hugo, Shakespeare, Miller, Thoreau, Dickenson, Cummings, Steinbeck, Plath, Austen (thanks to Emmeline), Nabokov, Harper, Whitman, Capote, Wolf, Poe (whom Edgar's middle name reflected), Elliot (whom Elliot's first name reflected) and various others. Oversized chairs, chaise lounges and couches were scattered throughout the room beneath the dome ceiling painted with stars in the Common Room. The arched windows offered an amazing view of mountains surrounding the castle and Amelia frequently positioned her desk so that she might take in the landscape.

Taking a seat at one of the far desks, Amelia took out a scroll of parchment and began outlining her Charms homework. Even though class had yet to begin, Amelia wanted to get a head start on her assignments. That, and Professor Flitwick prided himself on giving a leg up to students in his own house. He regularly sent assignments out to Ravenclaws in advance – mainly because he knew other heads of house did the same favoritism, even Minerva McGonnagal but also because he liked to know the members of his house on a more personal level.

Having taught both Adelina and Ethan and Ethan's mother and father, Professor Flitwick liked to think that he knew the Bones' well. He had known Amelia and her brothers since they were born and had been expecting their arrival into his house for years. It was not unusual for the tiny teacher to have lengthy conversations with the Bones' children regarding their studies, families, futures, ect. It was fairly common.

Finally, looking up from the novel she had read so many times before, Emmeline noticed Amelia, whose scratching against the parchment finally caught her attention. Stretching her arms above her head, Emmeline blinked her eyes and tossed her book onto the coffee table.

"Where've you been?" she mumbled, swinging her legs to the front of the chair. "Benjy came in long before you did."

Amelia looked up, surprised. Benjy had obviously neglected to inform the rest of the Ravenclaws of Amelia's whereabouts. She should not have been too shocked – Benjy was usually too wrapped up in his own matters. But Edgar, the overprotective soul that he was, would have pressed for a location, a return time and whom, if anyone, she were with. Elliot, on the other hand, didn't keep tabs on his sister, which she preferred and it was exemplified by his vacant acknowledgement of her arrival. Amelia smiled quietly. She would have to remember to thank Benjy for keeping her under the radar.

"I was touring first years with Benjy when Kingsley caught up with me." She shrugged, setting her quill down.

"Kingsley?" Emmeline said with a devilish smirk. "Kingsley as in Edgar and Amos' best mate and the Gryffindor? Kingsley as in 'Emmeline-he's-staring-at-me-again-please-make-him-stop?' Kingsley as in Kingsley-"

"Say Kingsley one more time and I might not even tell you what happened." Amelia said tossing Emmeline a playful look.

"Okay, okay." Emmeline said with a nod. "So, what happened?"

"Well," Amelia said, running her chestnuts locks between her fingers, "We were just talking about different things and then…" she paused, unsure of how to casually drop into the conversation that she was now most probably his steady date.

"Then what?" Emmeline asked, her eyes wide and searching Amelia's face for any kind of answer.

"I told him that maybe Edgar had a method to his madness and that maybe he wasn't entirely wrong." Amelia said slowly.

"And?" Emmeline pressed.

"He kissed me, alright." Amelia said reluctantly, though her cheeks had lit up like a Christmas tree.

Emmeline let out a gasp and jumped off the chair, nearly sprinting the short distance to where Amelia sat. Gripping Amelia's sides she grinned like The Joker.

"Lia! He kissed you!" Emmeline nearly yelled which caused Elliot to look up from his paper birds. Getting to his feet, he walked to where the two girls, stood, hands in pockets. He looked more and more like Edgar every day, Amelia thought fondly.

"Who kissed her?" he asked, a grin tugging at his cheek.

"You know who, Elliot." Amelia said giving him a pointed look.

"I do not." The youngest Bones child said with a slight shake of his head.

"Kingsley did!" Emmeline said, almost all of her teeth visible.

Amelia felt a deep blush creep into her cheeks and it was for one of two reasons. One, because she really did like Kingsley and was embarrassed to have it known aloud. Or two, because she was embarrassed to be giving into what was expected. Somehow, she was leaning toward the latter. Either way, it was bound to get back to Edgar quickly. She was almost positive that Kingsley had rushed to tell the Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain the good news. Elliot, at the breaking news, grinned sheepishly and offered his older sister a nod. Pulling her into a soft and gentle hug, he said,

"Good for you, Lia. He's one of the good ones."

"Thanks, Elliot." Amelia said into the coat of her brother's jacket.

"Just remember," Elliot said jokingly as Amelia pulled back, "If he makes the wrong move, he'll have two Bones men to deal with."

Amelia grinned affectionately at her younger brother's sentiments when he kissed her on the cheek and bid the two girls goodnight. He had just closed the door that led to the boy's dormitory when Emmeline pulled Amelia to sit beside her on the couch.

"So," Emmeline began, "When do you plan on telling Edgar that you and Kingsley are … for lack of better term, hitting the sheets?"

"Emmeline Vance!" Amelia said with a grin. "You have a filthy mind. Do you say things like that about famous Amos?"

"Would you stop calling him that? I only wish that Kingsley rhymed with something clever." Emmeline said tapping her chin in thought as if going through a list of possible names.

"Don't even think on it." Amelia said shaking her head as Emmeline laughed.

"So." Emmeline said, cocking her head to the side. "You really like him, then?"

If there was one person in the world that Amelia refused to lie to, it was Emmeline. They knew everything about each other, the good and the bad. Emmeline chastised Amelia whenever she was being snobbish, which was fairly often. Amelia pointed out when Emmeline harped on a subject too long without hesitation. It was that honest friendship that kept them together.

Did Amelia really like Kingsley?

"I like him. But I'm not in love with him." Amelia explained tentatively. "I know a lot about him, I like his company, he makes me laugh but … it's not …"

"Passionate." Emmeline said with an understanding nod. "I know, I know." Emmeline bit her lip before asking her next question. She didn't want to offend Amelia, though it was hardly possible given their history together. "Do you feel like your using him, at all? I mean, do you feel bad … about it?"

Amelia knew this inquiry was coming. She had thought about the prospect of it a dozen times herself. Was she using him? Did she feel bad? She wasn't going to lose sleep over it, but she wasn't expecting to be awarded for something.

"Um … I'm not particularly pleased. I … Kingsley is my friend and I care about him. I think," Amelia hesitated, holding a pillow to her chest, "I think that given time, we'll grow closer."

"But you have to get to that point." Emmeline nodded.

"Yeah. I mean," Amelia considered, "He's the only person that I can think of that I'd ever feel anything for. He's known me as long as you have. There's no one else I can picture myself with. It just fits, I suppose." Amelia said with a shrug.

"Good." Emmeline said with a nod.

Before Amelia had a chance to change the topic, Edgar threw the door open and walked across the threshold at a slower than usual pace. Amelia and Emmeline exchanged curious looks when Edgar straightened his tie. He folded his arms across his chest and gave Amelia a pointed look. She resisted the urge to groan.

"Emmeline," Edgar said, his eyes still trained on his sister, "Tell me that you're proud of me."

"I'm proud of you, Edgar." Emmeline said enthusiastically.

"Do you know why you're proud of me?" Edgar posed, gesturing into the air. When Emmeline didn't answer and merely giggled, Edgar continued, his poker straight teeth peeking out from beneath his lips. "Because I have changed lives! I have singlehandedly set into motion a love that will change lives. Just picture it," he said, looking off into space, "a young, charismatic wizard meets a young, brilliant witch. They're shy with each other, but affectionate. They know everything about the other, down to the very detail. The wizard is taken, but unsure. The witch is aware, but too nervous. With, and only with, the help of her too-kind brother does the young witch make her reciprocated feelings known. And then, with a kiss," Edgar said casting a sideways look at his sister, "it erupts, sending passion and romance into the air for the years to come. That, Emmeline Vance," Edgar said, his hands on his hips, "Is why you are proud of me."

Emmeline doubled over in laughter at Edgar's display and Amelia had to let a grin peak from beneath her lips. A little exaggerated but true for the most part. Amelia got to her feet, and rolled her eyes.

"If all the world is a stage, I guess that makes you the director." Amelia said teasingly.

"I'll take that as a thank you." He said with a nod. "I knew you'd end up together."

"Please, Edgar." Amelia said with a playful shake of her head. "We're dating, not getting marri-" Amelia began when Edgar clapped his hand over her mouth.

"Don't jinx it!" He protested quickly before releasing her. "I expect to be the godfather of your firstborn."

"I'm not the mother type." Amelia said with a shrug.

"Oh, please." Edgar said dismissively. "You and Kingsley will end up together in the end and you know it."

Edgar patted his little sister on the shoulder lightly. Edgar was always so sure of himself, so planned. It was admirable, Amelia gave him that, but it was so structured. She herself like consistency but his ideas were a bit much. When he turned toward the boys dormitories Amelia raised an eyebrow.

"Where're you going?"

"To sleep. Quidditch tryouts are tomorrow; gotta get some rest y'know? And Emmeline," he added, "Tell, what do you call him, Lia? Famous Amos?"

"Thanks, Lia." Emmeline muttered as Amelia grinned.

"Tell him that he'd better not expend his energy with his own tryouts. Those puffies won't know what hit them this year." Amelia cast her brother a 'we've all heard that before' look. "Don't give me that look, Lia. Jeremy Gilbert* had a keen eye and Rebecca Jamison broke up with that Gryffindor chaser, Wilson Locke. Something tells me she wants revenge." He said wiggling his eyebrows, continuing on his way.

"Using someone's spiteful tendencies to fulfill your own wishes is immoral, Edgar!" Amelia called after him.

"As a Quidditch player, I live by no such rule!" Edgar said as he closed the door.

Amelia turned to Emmeline and shrugged her shoulders. Emmeline laughed and ran a tired hand through her chestnut colored locks. Though she was shy, Emmeline was gorgeous. She had a classic natural beauty that radiated and she was far too modest. Stretching, the girl let out a yawn.

"Tired?" Amelia offered, collecting her books and quills.

"Just a bit. I'm really not looking forward to double Potions tomorrow. The first day of classes and we get stuck in the dungeons." Emmeline said it as though it left a bad taste in her mouth.

"I know, I know. Better get a good night's sleep then." Amelia said leading the way to their own dormitory.

"I actually think it'd be a better idea to stay up all night and catch a few zzz's in class tomorrow." Emmeline teased.

Amelia grinned at her best friend's humor. She had missed the easiness that came with their friendship. All of the most important events that had occurred in Amelia's short sixteen years, Emmeline had been present for and vice versa. When Amelia looked at Emmeline, she didn't see her friend from school, she saw a soul mate, someone who would be in her life forever. There was hardly a dream that Amelia had about her future that did not include Emmeline. They were both on the career path to becoming Aurors, they would probably live within close vicinity, and they would raise their children together if they had any. It was hard for Amelia to picture anything remotely important without Emmeline. She hoped that she would never have to.


	5. Four

The first two weeks had gone by quickly. Professors wasted no time assigning projects and essays to students. Elliot's OWL and Edgar's NEWT preparation had already begun stressing the male Bones children out. It usually wasn't until late November when they started pulling all-nighters. Clearly, it was going to be an interesting year.

Emmeline spent much of her time with Amos, who insisted she accompany him to Romania during the winter holidays to meet with scouting Quidditch teams. She told him that she would ask her parents which really meant that she would ask Mrs. Bones, who at this point, was who she was residing with during the winter holidays.

The other houses were back to their usual antics. The Gryffindors were, once again, involving themselves with unnecessary conflict. One said rivalry was between third years James Potter and Severus Snape. In one week alone Benjy and Amelia had broken up three confrontations between them.

Speaking of Slytherins, besides the aforementioned, they had been keeping a low profile. In accepting her position as Prefect, Amelia had anticipated stepping on their emerald toes. But no such misfortune had fallen across her path – unless she counted her bickering with Malfoy two weeks earlier.

The extent of her duties included taking charge of confrontational situations, reporting any incidents of misconduct back to Professor Flitwick and patrolling the corridors in the immediate area of the Ravenclaw Tower on her designated nights. Lucky for Amelia, that meant spending her stolen time in the Library, which was in said area. The previous year, as Amelia had spent nearly all of her free time in the library studying for OWLs, she begged Madame Prince to keep the library open all night. To which the librarian replied, 'then when would I get any sleep?' Feeling sorry for the almond-eyed scholar, Madame Prince finally figured out a way to make everyone happy by February. With permission from the Headmaster, Madame Prince offered Amelia the keys to the library each night promptly at ten. The Ravenclaw was to let no one, not even her parents know, about her granted gift. Madame Prince would leave the library, appearing to have locked the doors while Amelia sat hunched over a book on Advanced Charms, hell-bent on memorizing every charm known to wizard-kind.

This year with a bit of persuasion, Amelia was granted the same gift. 'But you don't have large scale exams this year.' Madame Prince had said. 'That's no reason not to prepare!' Amelia had protested. 'Just because you're not playing in a Quidditch match is no reason not to practice.'

And so, on a Thursday evening at nine thirty, Amelia sat working diligently on her Charms Essay, 'What I Know About Charms This Far.' Professor Flitwick had given his students, of all years, the same assignment. He assigned the same prompt every year. He claimed hat it gave him a better understanding of what ground to cover in his classes. So far, Amelia's paper was thirteen pages and she was just wrapping up her section on fourth year material.

Dipping her quill in her inkwell once again, Amelia glanced briefly at the shelf of books adjacent from where she sat. She stopped and had to look again, nearly dropping her quill. She would, unfortunately, recognize those features anywhere. Lucius Malfoy stood between a row of book shelves and through the various holes and crevices between books, he appeared to be looking at her. A moment of panic would have set in had she not heard Professor Flitwick, who seemed to be standing in front of Malfoy – not that she could see him. She sighed, thankful that the barely three-feet tall Professor was there. At the squeaky voice, Malfoy's eyes darted back down to the teacher. Just the same, Amelia looked back down at her paper. Her ears, however, could not help but perk up at the conversation between the two men.

"Mr. Malfoy," the Charms Professor said in his high pitched voice, "this is a serious matter!"

"I understand that, sir." Malfoy said, somewhat reluctantly.

"Do you? Do you really? Are you aware that your failure to pass my Charms class automatically makes you a poor candidate for passing NEWTs? Not only that, but you passed your OWLs by the skin of your teeth!" the teacher stressed. "The only reason that I gave you Advanced Placement this year was because your father," Malfoy seemingly grimaced at the word, "promised me you'd make up the lost work twofold."

"Yes, sir." He replied, almost habitually.

"Have you looked at any of the workbooks that I sent to Wiltshire over the holiday?"

"Of course." Malfoy nodded. Of course he looked at them; right before tossing them into the fireplace.

"Really?" Professor Flitwick said with mild skepticism. Malfoy had hardly done any schoolwork during the semester – doing it over the summer was quite a stretch. "Have you given any thought to getting a tutor? I suggested it last year, you know."

"Yes, sir, I have." Malfoy nodded. He knew that he needed assistance in his studies – help was not a word that he was particularly fond of. But he was limited in terms of his resources – another fact he did not want to admit. His housemates and friends were all on the negative side of the grading scale and those that weren't were too busy trying to get their Dark Mark. Truth be told, they would only make matters worse. The rest of the students in his year did either one of two things; they shied away from him out of fear or they held their nose up in snobbery. It didn't faze him. He liked being feared. And, the thought with a grim smile, when the others thought they were better than him, he laughed. If only they knew what lie ahead in the awaiting years.

The reason he had fallen so far behind was not due to his laziness. He was actually highly intelligent and was in the top percentage of his class at one point. The last year, though, he had been very busy – too tired from other activities to even begin thinking about schoolwork. He grasped the material, just not the time.

Over the past few years, he and his family had been paid several visits by a certain dark wizard. He called himself Lord Voldemort and said that He had a plan to make not only the Wizarding World, but the entire world a better place for Purebloods. The Malfoys took to the idea almost instantly. They believed in purity through and through – it was almost an obsession. The previous year, He had begun gathering followers – a wizard army. Among his circle – Death Eaters, as they came to be known – were the Lestrange family, the Black family, the Rosiers, MacNairs and the Dark Lord's most loyal court, the Malfoys.

During his sixth year, Malfoy was being looked on as Voldemort's second in command, something his longtime friend, Bellatrix, resented him for to this very day. He had the talent, the ambition, everything that was required. All he had to do was prove it. Running risky errands, targeting Blood Traitors were his simpler tasks. Among the most complex were keeping the Slytherins at Hogwarts in line and finding himself, more for his parents than for his leader, a wife.

His father insisted on Bellatrix Black for the longest time. She was a favorite of the Dark Lord and had talent beyond compare for the Dark Arts. Together, they could dominate. But Malfoy had declined. Secretly, he thought one would have to be barking mad to feel anything in the area of romantic interest for the eldest Black sister.

He preferred someone more delicate, more soft spoke and much more of a challenge. Bellatrix's younger sister, Narcissa, fit said profile to a tee. She was beautiful, a Black daughter, and most important, Pureblooded. He had sparked her interest easily. Having been a bachelor for far too long and having played the field more times than he could remember, he made her and offer and, of course, she accepted. What more could she ask for? He had everything she needed to be happy in life. It would have been foolish to say no.

Everything was going according to plan. Everything except his schoolwork. Last year, his tasks had been so daunting he had all but forgotten about his studies. A mistake he was now paying for.

"You'll be pleased to know," Malfoy said happily and convincingly, "that I have gotten someone to assist me. Highly recommended and really looking forward to the challenge."

"Good." Professor Flitwick nodded. "Who is it?"

"Excuse me?" Malfoy said, a little caught off guard. He hadn't anticipated a question of who it was that was helping him – just that the issue had been addressed should have been enough.

"I should like to meet them." He nodded. "Give them some material to go over with you that will be helpful. Now, who did you say it was?"

"That's not really important, now is it, Professor?" Malfoy stalled. "Surely you'll want to protect their privacy. My word is good. I can assure you." He said, flashing a charming smile.

"Your word, Mr. Malfoy," Professor Flitwick said with his arms folded across his chest, "is about as good as a nightfall charm in the trappings of Devil's Snare."

"I don't understand." Malfoy said with a shake of his head.

"Of course not. If you had come to class, you might take my playful insult to heart. I need a name." he pressed.

Malfoy rarely broke into a panic. He was calm in most situations, mainly because he could talk himself out of anything. He had managed to talk Professor Slughorn into giving him extra time on assignments. He had even pulled the wool over Professor McGonagall's eyes – no easy feat – by crafting a story about his father's faux illness and how he was needed at home and that a Transfiguration essay could surely wait a few days in the scheme of things.

However, he had lied to Professor Flitwick enough and time was running out.

"A name, Mr. Malfoy." He said, his voice suddenly stern.

He needed someone intelligent, of course, with whom he had no real problem with in the past. They couldn't be too close to him, lest the blow his cover. Someone cunning enough to play along. Someone he could offer something in return.

"She's right over there." Malfoy said, nodding toward Amelia.

Amelia froze, able to feel both pairs of eyes on her. She kept her head down, pretending to be in deep and concentrated thought. Surely Malfoy was out of his mind.

"Amelia?" Professor Flitwick said, more to himself than anyone else and he and Malfoy fell into the brunette's peripheral vision.

"Yes?" Amelia and Malfoy said in unison. Her to the calling of her name, him for verification.

Professor Flitwick cast a skeptic glance at Malfoy just before focusing his eyes on one of his most prized students. Running through the facts that Malfoy had just provided him with, he straightened up and offered a smile.

"Amelia." He said again, more pleasantly this time. "Mr. Malfoy here had been telling me about your plans together."

"He has, has he?" Amelia said lightly, raising an eyebrow for effect. "All good, I hope."

"So far." He nodded, his beard sweeping the ground. "I just wanted to make sure that you know what you're getting yourself into."

"Professor, please." Malfoy said quickly. "You wouldn't want to berate her with questions-"

"Mr. Malfoy." Professor Flitwick said gently. "Please. Let Miss Bones speak for herself."

"Yes, sir." Malfoy knew exactly what the Professor was trying to do. He wanted to trip the Ravenclaw up and catch him in the act. He kept his stare on the girl, hoping his demand was conveyed.

"Amelia?" Professor Flitwick prompted.

Amelia cast a look to both men, deciding which path to chose. She knew that telling the truth was best – it was always best. If there was one thing that she hated, it was lying. However, there was the chance that she could help him pass. It was slim but it was there. But who was she kidding. She, a sixth year, was not adept to teach him, a seventh year.

Closing her book shut, Amelia stood up, straightening out the cuffs on her blouse. Feeling much like Robert Frost, her favorite muggle poet, she took the road less traveled.

"Well Professor," She began, her voice clear and sharp, "I understand that Mr. Malfoy's performance in your class has been less than satisfactory in the past. While he has reminded me time and time again that he is determined to get back on track, I feel that nothing less than intense study sessions should be conducted. He has potential, as you know. It's just a matter of unlocking it." She finished, sliding a glace at Malfoy who, beneath his placid exterior, was shocked at the believability of her performance.

"As I've told you." Malfoy said, taking a step beside Amelia, putting his arm comfortably on her shoulder. "My word is good."

Professor Flitwick raised his eyebrows in both curiosity and relief. Malfoy was known to be elaborate in his dedication – so much so that when he wound up bust, even the most respectable professors were dumbfounded. The idea of his partnership with Amelia could very well be another tall tale. However, Amelia was one of his best and most talented students. To question her character would mean questioning his trust in her – which stood solid.

"Very well. I trust that you'll use only the most advanced of texts." He nodded.

"Nothing less." Amelia said firmly.

"Have him up to his required standard, Miss Bones, and you may find yourself a candidate for Head Girl next year." He said with a wink as Amelia's lips broke out into a grin. "Weekly reports on my desk each Friday. Stop by my office tomorrow after class and we'll talk more. If you have any questions, you know where to find me." He said shortly, leaving Amelia and Malfoy to themselves, his arm still on her shoulder.

"Bravo, Bones." Malfoy whispered into her ear when the Charms professor was out of both eye and earshot.

Amelia quickly shoved Malfoy away from her, causing him to stumble but only slightly.

"Give me one good reason not to tell Professor Flitwick that you put me up to this." Amelia said, gathering her things.

Straightening his tie and jacket from where she had touched him, Malfoy cleared his throat.

"I had no idea you harbored such strength in that little body of yours." He said condescendingly.

"And I had no idea that you possessed such little knowledge in that dome of yours." She retorted calmly, fastening the clasp of her bag. "I have half a mind to tell him that you put me under a spell to agree to this but judging by your intellectual state, you wouldn't know how to do so anyway."

"Touché." Malfoy said with a smirk.

Amelia did not know Malfoy well but she was not stupid and neither was he. She knew for herself that he was one of the smartest in his year whether or not his grades reflected it. Whatever he had done in the last two years – which she suspected had something to do with the Dark Lord – had landed him in serious trouble. She didn't want details, but she did want a good reason for volunteering all her time.

"Stop avoiding the questions. It's unbecoming." Amelia said, folding her arms across her chest.

"Come off it, Bones. Your affection for me is undeniable. You just itching to spend copious amounts of time me with." Malfoy said, leaning against the desk her belongings were sitting on.

"Right." Amelia nodded weakly. "And after that I think I'll swallow glass."

"You're going to make this all kinds of interesting aren't you?" Malfoy cooed.

"Not if you don't tell me why I'm doing this in the first place." Amelia said just as smoothly, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

"Why can't you just be flattered that I've chosen you for all of this?" Malfoy said with a light shrug.

"Okay then." Amelia said, turning to walk away. She would not play petty games with him. If he wanted her help, then he would be upfront and honest. Otherwise, he could find another puppet to play with.

"Wait, wait." Malfoy said, grabbing her by the arm to stop her.

"Please, don't touch me." Amelia said, jerking her arm back into her airspace.

Malfoy's face looked heavy. His face wasn't exactly gaunt but he looked much older than his seventeen years should have suggested. He looked stressed, pained almost. There were faint bags under his eyes and his hair was slightly tasseled. He ran a hand over his face before touching her elbow lightly.

"Bones," he began slowly, "I don't have many options right now-"

"That's not my problem. I didn't spend the two most important years of my career as a student doing Merlin knows what with Merlin knows who." She said in a harsh whisper.

"I do not need this right now." Malfoy muttered under his breath.

"There are a lot of things you don't need right now. A certain marking being one of them-"

Malfoy automatically clapped his hand over her mouth out of habit. When anyone in his house, his friends or otherwise, mentioned anything about the Dark Lord, it was his instinct to keep them quiet. For a moment, he forgot that Amelia was not one of his housemates; the banter they exchanged was so familiar, almost eerie. He pulled his hand back just as quickly and offered an apologetic look. Amelia, who was both offended and concerned, looked at him patiently.

"I want an answer."

He let out a heavy sigh and mulled over how to best determine that he required her help because he was too busy spending all of his time aiding in the destruction of the Wizard World. Perhaps that was not the best way to word it. He was too proud most days and did not like admitting his own failures, even though she was clearly aware of them. Amelia turned to leave again and just like before, he took hold of her but this time he didn't let go.

"I need you." was all he said.

Amelia herself was a person of pride and she saw how much it took for him to admit that he needed help. She supposed that he did have enough to worry about with the added insults from her. Then again, why should she be making excuses for his poor decisions?

Amelia took a deep breath before ripping her arm away from him. She smoothed out her skirt and blouse and tucked her hair behind her ears. She closed her eyes before replying,

"Three hours each day, five on the weekends. You'll schedule Quidditch and all other activities around these times. You fail to show up once and I'm finished, no exceptions." She opened her eyes to find Malfoy who looked relieved. He tucked his hands into his pockets and nodded. "Don't make me regret this."

Malfoy said nothing and watched as she adjusted the strap on her satchel. In the silence, Amelia looked at the boy – well, man – closely for the first time. He was tall and strong and reminded her in several ways of her own brother. He was commanding and he had a presence. But he was also arrogant and selfish and she wondered why she was bestowing such a kind act on someone who only thought about himself. Then again, her reasons for helping him were, in part, fueled by Professor Flitwick's mention of Head Girl.

"I won't." he said with a nod.

For a moment, Amelia remembered the boy's words to Professor Flitwick; my word is good. She hoped so.

Before Amelia could make an excuse to exit or set up a time to meet with him the following day, she heard arguing back and forth in the far corner of the library. She and Malfoy both looked in the direction of the noise. Realizing that it was her two favorite third years, James and Severus, Amelia let out a giant huff and threw her bag down on the table. She marched to where they stood and grabbed James by his cloak.

"Honestly. The two of you can't even go a day without starting something." She said pulling him to where Malfoy stood.

"Oy! Lia!" James said in protest using her nickname, something, she learned, he did to try and get on her good side. "It's not my fault this time! Honest!"

"James." Amelia said pinching the bridge of her nose. "I don't want to hear it anymore."

"Well, it wasn't." The spectacled boy said, folding his arms across his chest. He cast a look at Malfoy and snorted. "Blimey! You've got detention with her too?"

Malfoy's lips cracked something that, in the right light, might resemble a smile. He looked at James, then to Amelia, then back to James before answering.

"Something like that."

Amelia rolled her eyes and turned back to James, about to award him another week's worth of detention when she heard someone mutter something that she immediately recognized as a jinx. Instinctively, she grabbed James and pushed him in back of her to protect him. But before she could make any action to protect herself, she felt hands treating her the same way she had treated James. There was hardly any light emitted from the spell but she did hear something that sounded an awful lot like a grunt right next to her ear. Her eyes were squeezed shut and she held onto James shoulders to keep him from moving.

When she opened her eyes, she felt Malfoy's cheek next to her own. He stood in back of her, his arms around her own. A sort of panic set in and Amelia wondered if the spell had come from his very own lips. Then she remembered Severus who must have cast the spell. And Malfoy blocked it with his body.

"Uhm." She said, clearing her throat, focusing on James. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." James said, pulling away from her, eager to get a good look at his enemy.

Amelia held onto James' cloak and slowly turned to see that Malfoy had Severus by the collar of his shirt and appeared to be chastising him. She had almost forgotten that he himself was a Prefect. With James in hand, Amelia walked to where the two Slytherins stood.

"… and if you ever, ever aim another spell, hex or jinx in her direction I will snap your wand in two. Do you understand me?" Malfoy said, oblivious to the fact that Amelia and James were in earshot. He said 'her', Amelia thought to herself. He definitely said 'her'.

Malfoy turned toward Amelia and James when he had finished and straightened up.

"I think a week's worth of detention should do it." Malfoy said with a nod, casting a threatening look at Severus.

"I planned on taking them to the Headmaster." Amelia said carefully.

"Even better." Malfoy stepped aside so that they might pass.

Standing as a wedge between the two boys, Amelia nodded and turned toward the exit. She briefly wondered what she was getting herself in to. She had heard awful things about Malfoy and his involvement with the war. She knew how he treated her brother, her friends, people in general. There was nothing to respect about someone like that. But, she reasoned, maybe he wasn't all bad. No, she thought. She would not turn this into one of those situations where she felt bad for him because of his rotten circumstances. She would not let herself.

"Bones." Malfoy said before she walked out of eyesight. "What time am I to meet you?"

His face was sincere and he stood like he was listening. She closed her eyes for a moment in thought. She had said three hours every day. Merlin, why did she make it so long?

"After dinner. Here. In the library." Amelia managed to say without too much difficulty.

"I will see you then."

Amelia nodded and pushed the boys ahead of her, swatting at their hands every few moments when they tried to hit each other.

There were a lot of things Amelia knew about. She could levitate objects well into the air and above her head. She could transfigure cats into footstools. She could mix potions that could prevent fatigue. But she had no plan, no idea on how to even begin helping Malfoy. Uncertainty was a new concept to her and she wasn't sure she liked the feeling of it.


End file.
